This easy-to read book looks at the many ways in which diffusion bears on processes that
involve dispersion starting from the Brownian motion of molecules covering the invasion of
exotic plants migration of populations epidemics and extending to the spreading of languages
and ideas. Recently there has been a growing interest in understanding migrations diffusion
and spreading outside the ¿hard¿ natural sciences of physics and chemistry for example the
spreading of plants introduced as a result of globalization. Another fascinating story is that
of human migration in the distant past i.e. the immigration of our ancestors who brought
agriculture from the Near East or the fast spread of the Palaeo-Indians into the Americas
after the end of the Ice Age. Likewise the spread of languages in the past and even more so
the current spread and retreat of languages will be described here in terms of diffusion. By
understanding these principles there is hope that some of the less common languages that are
threatened by globalization can be saved. Another important implication discussed by the author
concerns the outbreak of epidemics these may be mitigated if we understand their spreading
mechanism. Last but not least the spreading of ideas and innovations a process which changes
the world sometimes faster than we wish can also be usefully described in this picture.
